Ron wrote:
On 7/14/2015 12:17 AM, . . .winston wrote:
Ron wrote:
If a laptop came with W8 and was upgraded to W8.1 can it be refreshed
using this media?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...-refresh-media

If so do you have to have a key for it?

The media is intened for reinstall or installing 8.1 and accepts a 8.0
or 8.1 product key. It is not for refresh purposes nor is it intended
as the insertable media when requested to be inserted during the refresh
process.
- i.e. use the 8.0/8.1 media provided or created with the pc (OEM
Recovery disk, 8.0 upgrade media, 8.1 full version media, user created
8.0/8.1 recovery disk)

If the laptop was upgraded from 8.0 to 8.1 the recovery partition on the
drive as shipped and after upgrading to 8.1 was an 8.0 recovery
partition.

If the laptop has the key on firmware...the media can be use to install
or reinstall without the need for the key. It as noted above is not
media for refresh.


So to use this for an install on say, a Windows 7 computer, you would
have to purchase a key?

Also, kinda strange that in the link it says "create-reset-refresh-media".


It doesn't upgrade Windows 7. It can be used on a Windows 7 system to
install Windows 8.1 but an 8.1 key will be necessary.

The first line on that url says
'If you need to install or reinstall Windows 8.1, you can use the tool
on this page to create your own installation media using either a USB
flash drive or a DVD.'

That page also states.
'If you’re not running Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, you’ll need to enter
a Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 product key.'
- i.e. that applies to attempting to use it on a Win7 system or clean
booting on a device that has Win7.

Refresh is the same as reinstalling Windows...i.e. consistent with the
first line ('If you need to install or reinstall') and applicable only
to 8.1




--
...winston
msft mvp windows experience